Afer releasing his critically acclaimed album, Sign o’ the Times, many wondered what was come for Prince. Having amassed a level of credibility, respect, and mainstream success, some believed that Prince had become too much of a Pop artist. In response to critics, Prince recorded The Black Album, an exploration of some of the funkiest rhythms, compositions, and instrumentation. But, after realizing it’s dark content, and ill-placed intentions, Prince recalled the album just a few weeks shy of its release. After scrapping the album, in traditional Prince fashion, he put together an entire album in no time, recording much of the instruments himself. That album would turn out to be, Lovesexy, his 10th studio album. This past May Lovesexy turned 30, and has become a fan favorite, noted for it’s cover art, tour, and legendary afer shows.

Last week, friend of the blog, Tarick and I made the trip to New York City for the EYE NO Prince: Lovesexy Symposium at NYU’s Tanden School of Engineering. Organized by designer, photographer, web developer, DJ, and podcaster, De Angela L. Duff, the symposium served as a space for Prince fans to explore the life, music, and impact of Prince with special attention on his 10th studio album, Lovesexy. After the symposium I spoke with resident Princeologist, Tarick. Here’s our conversation:

Stanley: We just left Day 1 of the EYE NO Prince: Lovesexy Symposium. What did you think of the atmosphere of the event?

Tarick: I thought the atmosphere was pretty cool. I’m glad Prince is getting his just due in spaces as such (universities, symposiums, panels, etc.) even though it happened after his passing. It was interesting being in a room full of people who love the same person for similar and/or different reasons. For me personally, I loved being there. I was resisting really getting into it and letting my hair down when the concert played lol. I just wish it had a much bigger audience and I wish we had time to stay for day 2; which had more panels and more info for you seeings as you’re a fan and I’m a Stan (ironic, lol)

Tarick: What did you think of the atmosphere of the event? Would you go to another one?

Stanley: I thought the atmosphere was great! I really enjoyed Cat Glover’s spirit and energy - she really made the room light up. Watching the Lovesexy concert with Cat Glover was easily the highlight lol. It was like watching the director’s cut of a movie, or having a narrator.

I’ve heard Dr. Fink on podcasts and interviews before, and I’ve always enjoyed listening to his appreciation for Prince’s compositions. So, to hear him talk about Prince, in person, was really enjoyable. Dr. Fink seems like a chill guy, and just enjoys talking about Prince. I appreciate that.

Having been to a number of academic conferences, it was cool to see a similar set up, but the topic to be about Prince. I’d definitely go again!

Stanley: I was really impressed by Prince’s engineer - Joe Blaney, who worked with Prince on Lovesexy and a few other albums. Looking back, what did you think of their work together in terms of the production quality of Lovesexy?

Tarick: Lovesexy is a bit of a mixed bag for me. As you know I been a fan for a long time and my favorite time periods and eras change. Prior to his passing there was stuff I didn’t like at all and stuff I didn’t listen to much and Lovesexy was a mix of both. But after he died, I revisited a lot of the stuff from all time periods and I fell in love with this era completely; the band, the music (released and unreleased, lol) and the concerts and after shows. As far as production quality of the Lovesexy album, it’s great. In good headphones or via a great sound system is sounds cleaner and clearer than all his albums before it and there was a reason for that. Paisley Park was built and completed in 1987. Before paisley, he mostly recorded either live in the warehouse (the rehearsal space he used for his bands), his basement studio or sunset sound in LA. Lovesexy was recorded between dec 87 and jan-feb 88 @ the park. As most Prince fans know, once paisley was built his music became very very polished and you can hear it. To me, it’s louder and cleaner than his previous efforts. Listen with headphones and you’ll hear SO much that’s in the background with all the little flourishes he did with sounds, random instruments and even his voice/vocals.

Stanley: I like Lovesexy, though I wouldn’t say it’s one of my favorites. First, I liked that Lovesexy (again) showed his dexterity on multiple instruments, though musically, I like other albums more. I thought lyrically, and thematically, the album was brilliant. Prince’s constant return to themes of love, God, spirituality, and in this case, battles between good and evil, were especially enjoyable. With that said, Anna Stasia is probably my favorite song, Eye No probably number 2. I say “probably” because it is subject to change lol.

I thought it was really interesting hearing Joe Blaney talk about Prince’s ability to manipulate his voice (naturally), something I knew going in, but was impressed by after hearing Blaney’s accounts. It’s well documented how Prince created characters and manipulated his voice for those roles, but that’s...not easy to do? Blaney mentioned during some recording sessions how he had left and Prince had something recorded, and Blaney basically asked who the singers were, then he isolated each track only to find out it was all Prince. That’s amazing to me.

I should also add that my orientation with this album was primarily through bootlegged aftershows lol. I love those. The spontaneity of jam sessions is incredible. But the skill it took to sound good in those shows is remarkable.

Tarick: They had a panel and at the end they showed the Lovesexy concert from Germany. Now, I’ve seen it before but you’ve mentioned that you haven’t seen it in full before that. What did you think? Anything from the show that stood out?

Stanley: I thought the concert was great! One of the things I like about Prince’s concerts is that he fully engages in the artistry of the performance. He could just riff all night on the guitar, and I’d be happy. He could just dance all night, and I’d be happy. But instead he makes his shows a part of a larger story. I thought he and Cat’s chemistry on stage was really powerful (also helped that she was sitting right in front of us narrating the show).

I’ve always loved Miko’s playing - especially his rhythm guitar playing. Super funky. And the way he played off of Levi was incredible. And the connection between Levi and Sheila E? My goodness. They were super tight. And I thought Boni was incredible, per usual. Also, I feel like Prince used Eric Leeds solos when he wanted to go into hyperdrive - whatever song was being played automatically went to another level.

In preparation for the release of his forthcoming EP, KM Vol. 1, Charlotte, NC native, Keeyen Martin has released his debut single Girl I'm on the Way. Backed by a Fender Rhodes, organ, and sparse trumpets, Martin's latest single is a sultry R&B ballad that evokes emotions of faith and hope through the difficulties of a relationship. Aided by fellow North Carolina native and frequent collaborator, producer Scottiie Glaze's approach captures the vocal prowess of Keeyen Martin, allowing for the vocalists skill to shine through.

You can listen to his new song here and watch some behind the scenes footage below:

Producer and composer hailing from Marietta, Georgia, AGDYNASTY delivers a posse cut titled ‘Samurai Jack Remix’ with rappers De Oro, JD Genius, Manje Khan, T. Mason, Kay Dubb, and Woop. For those unfamiliar with Samurai Jack, it’s an animated series about a samurai being sent into a dystopian future by an evil wizard by the name of Aku. Jack has to return to the past to undo any destruction that the wizard would be capable of.

The highlights of this ethereal and cerebral track instrumentally are some throwback and cinematic horns, trap percussion, bass drum, and what I assume to be is a harp in the back of the mix.

Of all the rappers on here, Kay Dubb stood out the most for all the right reasons. I love the lightly distorted vocals on his voice and the sample of a sword coming out of its case. With only eight bars given, he made the most out of them by showing his lyrical versatility by switching from a slow-paced flow to a slightly faster flow and rhyming more than the casual two times in the first four bars of his verse. Not to mention his lyrics held weight as well. I also liked T. Mason’s verse because it was to the point about his aspirations of chasing better and avoiding anything that he would deem a distraction.

If I had any gripes with the track, one would be that the track overstays its welcome. For every rap verse, there is a four-bar instrumental. Constructively, the track would be better off having the two rappers say their verse, add the hook, add the next two verses, add the hook, and finally add the last two verses. This suggestion should make the track a little more engaging. Another gripe I would add is that I wish that the bass that was on the first eight seconds of the song would have been incorporated into the rest of the track somehow because it gave such so much suspense for what was coming next. Perhaps it could have replaced the four-bar instrumental in between the verses to build suspense right before one of the rappers starts their verse.

If I had to select an artist or artists that this song reminds me of concept-wise, it would be Czarface. Not because of their boom-bap instrumentation but because of their obsession with comic books and action animated shows.

Overall, it’s an okay track. If you like anything on Toonami and Wu-Tang Clan then maybe this track is for you. It could use some improvement. Maybe we will see that on his next track because at this point I only see AGDYNASTY advancing his sound from here.

On Sunday, January 28th, The Recording Academy will celebrate the 60th Annual Grammy Award ceremony. With much anticipation, heading into this year's show there are plenty of storylines and artists to watch for. Kendrick Lamar is coming off his most commercially successful album, yet still has the widespread critical acclaim, and depth, his other albums have boasted. Childish Gambino has proven himself, across multiple mediums, as being a supremely gifted storyteller and artist. Jay-Z has shown us what rap can look like in its late 40's, and the evolution of an artist. And Bruno Mars has taken late 80s and early 90s R&B and thrusted them right into today's popular music.

In preparation for this weekend's award ceremony, I spoke to one of my favorite voices in music - critic, writer, and artist, Mel Smith. We talked about the voting process for the Grammy’s, structural racism in music, stanning for Kendrick Lamar, and more! Here's our conversation:

Thanks for doing the interview! To start, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Mel: What’s up Stanley, my name is Jamel “Mel” Smith and, in layman’s term, I am a 23-year-old critical, carefree Black creative who loves all things entertainment and is a part of the creative community and industry. My day-to-day titles include being a graduate student in NYU’s Music Business program, singer/songwriter/producer, cultural critic, and podcaster on Thursday nights. I’ve been very fortunate to cultivate a young career that has taken me from Tuscaloosa, AL (where I hail from) to Atlanta, GA to New York, NY, where I am currently interning in Sony Music’s sync licensing department. I have also been blessed enough to work with a line of major and independent record labels and brands such as Universal Music Group, Def Jam Records, Smithworx Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and GRAMMY U. With all that said, I am very honored to be discussing this exciting process with you. I appreciate the opportunity.

Can you talk some about the voting process? Who’s eligible, and the period between which albums are eligible — cut off dates? How do you become a voter, and who votes for albums?

Mel: The voting members behind the GRAMMY Awards include music industry pros who represent a diverse set of backgrounds—from vocalists to songwriters, engineers to producers, and everything in between. The qualifications include the following: voting members MUST have creative or technical credits on at least six commercially released tracks on a physical album or 12 [credits] on a digital album. Voting members must also be in good standing with their $100/year dues. However, if someone doesn’t meet the requirements, he or she may still apply to become a voting member with an endorsement from at least two current Recording Academy voting members.

Yearly, Recording Academy members and record companies enter recordings and music videos released during the eligibility year (normally between Oct. 1, 2017-Sept. 30, 2018) in the GRAMMY Awards process. The GRAMMY voting process is comprised of several stages consisting of submission, screening, nominating, special nominating committees, final voting, and results. The Recording Academy’s voting members are all involved in the creative and technical recording fields. They participate in the nominations that determine the five finalists in each category and the final voting, which names the GRAMMY winners.

I challenge cultural critics and artists of color to continue to publicly examine how Black art is commodified and start demanding compensation for our excellence, whether that is in how we are honored or in how [much] we are exposed.

A lot has been made about structural racism within the film and TV industries. There have been similar complaints about the recording academy — e.g. Adele winning AOTY over Beyoncé, Macklemore winning Rap Album of the Year over Kendrick Lamar, Taylor Swift’s 1989 winning AOTY over To Pimp A Butterfly, and so on — but there haven’t been widespread protests like we’ve seen in the film and TV industries. I could be off base here, but there seems to be a difference.

What would you attribute the lack of protest in music to? If anything.

There have been a few social media initiatives re: the inequality of the awards, namely the #GRAMMYsSoWhite hashtag on Twitter following the events you mentioned—most recently, the 2017 AOTY loss. However, most social advocacy has been a branch of the viral hashtag #OscarsSoWhite created by April Reign in 2015. I believe there are cultural critics, like myself, who make space for a nuanced conversation re: the diversity (or lack thereof) and the integrity of the GRAMMY Awards (#JusticeforToPimpAButterfly).

I don’t think there is a lack of protest regarding structural racism in the music industry. However, I find myself hitting a road block in conversations about this topic due to the public’s inability to examine the commodification and commercial exploitation of urban music as something Black artists should "appreciate" but also critique. I DO believe progress has started to take place; especially when we look at this year’s Album of the Year category—4 artists of color (3 Black), a woman, and NO WHITE MEN. I also think that based on the results of this year’s diverse award season, we will be able to more accurately measure that progress. The front runners of this conversation understand that the tool to change is persistence (as seen with the #OscarsSoWhite initiative.) I challenge cultural critics and artists of color to continue to publicly examine how Black art is commodified and start demanding compensation for our excellence, whether that is in how we are honored or in how [much] we are exposed.

Who are some of your picks for this year’s awards? You can answer this in two ways — who you think will win vs. who you want to win. There may be no difference, but in the event there is a difference can you talk about that some?

Mel: Yes! My favorite thing to discuss with my music homies. (Lol) This has been an exciting award season with artists such as Childish Gambino, Kendrick Lamar, Jay Z, Bruno Mars, and SZA being amongst the biggest nominees this year—an unprecedented event for the Recording Academy; to have “urban" artists lead the nominations. My biggest pick for this year’s awards is Kendrick Lamar’s "DAMN." for his respective genre-specific categories, as well as, Album of the Year. If anyone knows me or follows me on social media, they know how much I stan for the artistic and critical excellence that is "To Pimp A Butterfly”. I am simply looking for redemption this go ‘round. He’s a genius and the Academy should honor that with the 'biggest award of the night’. Of course, Jay Z is a front runner in the race with his tour de force, "4:44”. I wouldn’t be upset with an upset from him. Picks that would be surprising and exciting are Childish Gambino’s “Redbone" win for Record of the Year, “4:44”’s win for Song of the Year, and SZA’s win for Best New Artist. Wholly, an award ceremony sans politics would offer the Recording Academy and the public a great opportunity to expand concepts of artistic excellence in regards to songwriting across the board, using hip hop as a worthy reference. THAT is what I am mostly looking forward to—the implications of the night.

**Prayer list picks: PJ Morton “First Began” for Best R&B Song and “Gumbo” for Best R&B Album. He truly had one of the best albums of the year. A classic record!

A big part of me thinks Jay-Z will win, not so much because 4:44 was the best album, but because, well, he’s reached a status that few artists have in terms of longevity.

Stanley: I agree! PJ’s album was incredible! I’ve been to a few of his shows, and I always left wishing he could somehow capture elements of his live sets in the studio. I thought this album bridged the divide.

With regard to album of the year, I’m pulling for Kendrick hard. But, of all of the years he’s been nominated for AOTY, this is his weakest album, in my opinion (though, still a very good album). A big part of me thinks Jay-Z will win, not so much because 4:44 was the best album, but because, well, he’s reached a status that few artists have in terms of longevity. I think he has a lot of momentum going in to the awards. I think it’s common for the Academy award “make-up calls” awarding artists that’ve been making quality work for a while but have never won AOTY (Bob Dylan in 1998, Santana in 1999, Steely Dan in 2001, Herbie Hancock in 2008). I just think he’s due, but again, I’m pulling hard for Kendrick, DAMN was better.

I think Bruno Mars will probably win Best R&B album, but PJ is very deserving, as well as Ledisi and Daniel Caesar. I have my reservations about Bruno. Most of them boil down to his lack of pushing the genre forward, rehashing old forms and styles, and his lack of lyrical depth.

I don’t see Childish Gambino leaving empty handed. But I’m not totally sure which category he’ll take an award home for. If I had to guess, I’d say he’s going to win for Best Traditional R&B performance.

How do you think Cardi B will fare? She’s nominated for Best Rap Performance.

Mel: Yes! I have been following PJ for years and he is truly one of the most consistent artists and performers of our generation. And he deserves to be honored for such a masterful project.

I definitely agree with everything you said about Kendrick and the AOTY award. I’ve always said that his best bet to win the award was with “To Pimp A Butterfly”. That is an once in a lifetime album and he made it; it’s his magnum opus. So, to see politics run WILD that year with the award going to “1989” was insane for me to watch as a huge fan of musicality and Kendrick Lamar. However, DAMN. is still a worthy contender. Of course, part of me is looking for redemption from his last two snubs but also, DAMN. deserves the nomination and the award, IMO. When we talk about albums and break down what the elements of a great album, DAMN. fits the bill. But 4:44 does as well, so I could see him upsetting DAMN’s win. Of course, DAMN.’s rare combination of commercial success and critical acclaim puts him above everybody in the category, however, when we look at politics, Jay Z definitely has the advantage. I’m pulling for Kendrick as well, man. He deserves a lot. I’m rarely impressed but what he does is intimidatingly good. He’s brilliant.

Bruno Mars is definitely another case study when we discuss the identity politics involved in the GRAMMYs. Of course, that’s another topic of discussion but he is a frontrunner in the category for reasons not necessarily being because he has the strongest album in the bunch; in fact, his album “24K Magic” was reviewed quite mediocrely due the reasons you mentioned. And that’s all I will say about that. However, I do believe that there will come a time when we have to reckon with who Bruno [Mars] is in the industry, as well as, in *our culture. I believe his next album will provide us with those answers.

YES! CHILDISH GAMBINO! He had one of the best albums in my opinion and definitely one of the best songs with “Redbone” (which I could see winning Best Traditional R&B AND Record of the Year). I’m team Childish Gambino; he’s another one of those intimidatingly brilliant artists, especially when we look at the full scope of his career with Awaken My Love! and Atlanta. I’m excited to see how he does during the ceremony.

I think Cardi B will have a great night (due to her performance on the main stage) but I don’t think she will take the Gold home. I’d be surprised if she does, actually. The demographics of the Recording Academy will lean more towards Jay Z and Kendrick for Best Rap Performance. "Trap music” hasn’t quite been welcomed into the conversation regarding merit-based accolades. However, I am glad that the GRAMMYs are featuring her with Bruno on the main stage. I know the Academy is trying to implement inclusion into their shows and even though urban music get the shaft in other ways, I can see some effort with WHO they feature as performers. Hopefully, she maximizes that moment.

Stanley: I’m in line with that frame of thinking regarding Bruno Mars as well. The next album will answer a lot of questions for me. We’ll see where he goes next.

That’s a really good point about Trap Music not fully being accepted. Which makes me think about all of the genres, typically, and traditionally, black, that the Academy was hesitant to accept - rap and r&b categories. When rap is finally included in ‘89, Will Smith wins the award for best Rap Performance. That’s kind of comical to me. I like Will Smith, but best Rap Performance? That’s a bit much lol.

I’m not particularly a fan of artists like Migos and Future, but they’ve proven themselves to be consistent staples of Trap music and Popular music. Yet, they have a combined 3 nominations, ever. Though Cardi B has had some commercial success, she has yet to prove herself on a consistent basis, like the above mentioned artists. But, she may become the face of trap music, and already has as many Grammy nominations as Future. I think we saw a similar hesitance/shift with Chance The Rapper’s mixtape and the inclusion of stream only music.

The success of urban music, in relation to award recognition, has always been based on its proximity to whiteness...

Mel: Exactly. The success of urban music, in relation to award recognition, has always been based on its proximity to whiteness (hence, Will Smith’s award and more recently, Macklemore’s win against Kendrick). Trap music, though commercially popular in white spaces, has not reached a positioning of critical acclaim when we talk about [their] chances to receive a GRAMMY. But who knows what the precedent will be in the next few years. It’s interesting to see the evolution of Hip Hop’s place in the show and in mainstream culture today but here we are experiencing its cultural apex. I think bringing up Chance is beneficial to this conversation. The growing infusion of trap music in mainstream spaces and conversations will more than likely cause the GRAMMYs to reimagine their antiquated definition of what hip hop is. However, I think it’s best to note that the performances of said trap artists have to actually have merit. I’m all for giving the award to Cardi and/or Migos, if they are the best in the category.

When Bruno Mars paid tribute to Prince at the 59th annual Grammy Awards, I went into a slight Twitter frenzy. I was shocked by his execution, as he seemed poised, and confident, but not over confident. He sang well, danced when necessary, and made the guitar scream when called to. And, given the relatively short list of artists that can sing, dance, and play the guitar (well), selecting Bruno for the tribute made sense. Though it’s almost impossible (pretty sure it’s impossible) to fully capture Prince’s artistry and skill in a live performance, Bruno did a relatively good job considering the task at hand.

-------

Late last week, Bruno Mars released a remix for his song Finesse featuring Cardi B. The video for Finesse features Bruno Mars and Cardi B as honorary characters in the 90’s sitcom, In Living Color. By all merits, Finesse is a lively an interpretation of New Jack Swing, pioneered by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, producer and keyboardist, Teddy Riley. In the mid-1980’s, New Jack Swing merged the infectious groves of dance music, the charisma of Hip-Hop, and the sex appeal of R&B. It was fresh and vibrant. Sonically, New Jack Swing incorporated the Roland TR-808 drum machine with powerful synthesizers. Known for its emphatic drum hits and intricate instrumental compositions, New Jack Swing was perfect for live performances and dancers, especially. New Jack Swing aided dancers, as leg kicks, arm flails, and dance routines were synchronized with the music and flashing lights. Much like the music of the late 80’s and early 90’s, Mars’ Finesse captures the sound of that era. Mars’ penchant for older music, not just New Jack Swing, is almost embedded in his bloodline.

Growing up in Hawaii, Mars was born into a musical family, and a family of entertainers. His mother was a singer and hula dancer. Mars’ father was a singer and multi-instrumentalist. Plus, six siblings, and other family members, Mars’ family was comprised of entertainers whom ranged from Elvis impersonators to cover band musicians. When Mars was four, he joined the family business – a Las Vegas styled revue, performing Motown, and Top 40 songs, at corporate events, weddings and birthday parties.

When hired as a musician for corporate events...you are expected to play the music exactly as it’s heard on the recording...

When hired as a musician for corporate events, like Mars’ family, you are expected to play the hits, to play the music exactly as it’s heard on the recording. As a cover band, you aren’t expected to show your knowledge of music theory, chord substitutions, improvisation, altered scales, or anything along those lines. If anything, those things are discouraged. Again, people want to hear the music exactly like it was recorded. People want to dance, and not be bogged down by music in odd time signatures, and fancy-pants chord alterations.

Without question, Bruno Mars is one of today’s most talented artists. He can dance, sing, play multiple instruments, and perform. He’s charismatic and good-looking, too. His band, The Hooligans, is one of the finest collections of musicians. They’re ability to sing, dance, and yet retain proficiency on their instrument is impressive, to say the least. Undoubtedly, he’s a superstar. But, there’s something missing. For all the talent he has, it seems as if he’s selling himself short.

...the question one has to raise is: what has Bruno Mars added to the tradition of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Teddy Riley, Zapp, Bobby Brown and others?

Mars’ latest album, 24K Magic is more of a cover/tribute album than anything else. It’s quality music, on some level. But, the question one has to raise is: what has Bruno Mars added to the tradition of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Teddy Riley, Zapp, Bobby Brown and others? As it stands, there’s very little he has added, if anything. But, this is where Mars’ upbringing becomes a useful context – he’s a trained (and skilled) entertainer, not an innovator in the way the artists he has idolized are. Ultimately, Mars’ lack of innovation may be the thing that keeps him out of legendary status. The artists we remember are the artists that innovate, not those that simply recreate what already was.

So, given Bruno Mars’ skill should we – as fans and listeners – require more of him?

I want to be a global inspiration not just in music, but in art in general. I have a lot that I’m capable of doing and I’m definitely going to do it - Frenchie

About an hour before Frenchie’s feature set at Rents Due - a monthly music showcase held at Philadelphia’s Bourbon and Branch - Frenchie is patiently waiting to take the stage. She says she’s nervous, but the nerves are good because they mean she cares. The nerves make sense, though; if you’re not nervous then you may be a bit overconfident. But, for Frenchie, she’s not underestimating any stage, no matter the size. And having the opportunity to perform in front of friends and fans isn't something she takes lightly.

Based in Philadelphia, Frenchie has spent time in a music duo, modeling, writing for other artists, choreographing, and teaching dance. But, for her, this year’s been about taking strides for her own work. With the release of her new single, Prove It, Frenchie’s out to prove that’s she’s not only a talented singer/songwriter, but a total artist that’s committed to her craft, and ready to go to the next level. I caught up with Frenchie to talk about her new single, staying motivated, 90s R&B, and more. Here's our conversation:

You spent some time in a group, working and writing for other people, so this single is somewhat of a reintroduction to you as a solo artist. Can you talk about the process of reintroducing, and branding, yourself?

Frenchie: I would be here all day explaining the process [laughs], but I’ll sum it up to, not giving up on myself, staying late at the studio, building my sound, going to meetings, praying, reading, watching, learning, and putting forth the effort to really get myself together mentally so that I can properly deliver. I work super hard. I haven’t put out solo material in 4 years, so this reintroduction means a lot, I just had to make it right.

Stanley: Yeah, the mental/spiritual preparation is so critical, but often overlooked.

I’m curious - during those 4 years when you weren’t putting out music, what kept you motivated and inspired?

Frenchie: I have a very strong love for what I do, so that alone kept me motivated, amongst other things. Constantly trying to build on what I have, and learning new things. I don’t mean to get all religious, but keeping God first and keeping focused helped a hell of a lot.

Stanley: That's inspiring. I think a lot of people, may have turned around, gone the other way, and given up.

There’s nothing like giving people a good memory, but giving them a taste of my personal style all at the same time...

Prove It is really transparent and forthright. What was the inspiration for the song? Who was the producer?

Frenchie: Honestly, I took that beat [laughs]! One day I was in the studio with Larry Lambert and Rque (the producers of the record). I was actually there to record a different song, they just so happen to be playing that particular beat when I walked in, and I got hype like “who’s beat is this??!!” [laughs] No one had claimed it yet so I bugged them about it until they gave it to me. The melody in the beat kind of gave me the Destiny's Child Say My Name vibe, so I just went with that theme and built the song around it. I just put my own twist to it. There’s nothing like giving people a good memory, but giving them a taste of my personal style all at the same time. “Say my name” was a BIG record.

I just want to be successful, and it’s not to say that I’m not already, but I want to be global...

It's funny you mentioned Destiny's Child, and how influential the song was - I've noticed that you really have an ear for 90s R&B. Prove It, uses some of Say My Name. What is it about 90’s R&B that draws you to that era’s sound?

Frenchie: The vibe, music was different back then. 90’s R&B had a raw energy that I’ve always wanted to capture. Music felt different, it felt real, and it really tackled your emotions.

Stanley: Yeah, that vulnerability in music was certainly there. Using Say My Name music so much sense! Like, a good framework to start with.

What’s something you want people to take away from the song?

Frenchie: For women to not be so gullible and accepting of any type of treatment, and for men to “man up”, take responsibility, and either be with one [person] or let go. Honestly, it works both ways. Also, people interpret things differently so take what you want from it, just make sure it’s something good! [laughs]

The single’s out now, for everyone to hear. As an artist, where do you see yourself going next?

Frenchie: Wherever God allows me to go. I have so many goals set, man. I just want to be successful, and it’s not to say that I’m not already, but I want to be global. I want to be a global inspiration not just in music, but in art in general. I have a lot that I’m capable of doing and I’m definitely going to do it.

Five years ago, in the fall of 2012, I found myself in one of the practice rooms in the music department at Morehouse College. A friend and I were practicing for a gig. He had mentioned that he met a piano player, a freshman, and he would be stopping by to jam. A few minuets later, in walks Tim, a tall, skinny, 18-year old from Chicago. We shook hands, introduced ourselves and got to the music. Later on we talked about our love for Robert Glasper, Kanye West, Hip-Hop, playing in church and more. It was evident Tim’s ear for music was unique, and uncompromising. A a gifted poet and writer, you could also tell he thought about music, and storytelling, in a multi-layered fashion.

Five years later, and Maxey has released his debut album, Baeland a production album, that relies on a variety of techniques: vocal sampling, handcrafted synthesizers, and sound. While much of music has become dominated by singles, Maxey has opted to tell a larger story over the course of the album. I caught up with Tim to talk about his album, the commodification of music, overcoming fears, and much more. Here's our conversation:

Stanley: First off, congrats on releasing the album! It’s really good, and I enjoyed listening to it! What was your creative process like while making Baeland? How long did it take you to complete the album?

Tim: Thanks man. I’d say it took me 23 years to make it. I look at my work as a culmination of all my experiences. Logistically, though I’d say a few months. The process consisted of just meeting my own standard, and not considering what other people wanted to hear, as much as the type of music I genuinely like to hear. I also wanted to reference a lot of my influences and for artists that I wish to work with in the near future.

Stanley: The album is listed as “alternative” on Apple Music, but I’m sure it’s broader than that. How would you describe your sound?

Tim: Alternative is more of cultural statement. There isn’t one particular genre category that defines the entire project. Alternative is my way of saying it’s different than any other body of work that exist. I would describe my sound as sort of setting the atmosphere. People have said I create "worlds" and "settings'.

That was part of the reason why I called it Baeland as well. Regardless of the relationship/situationship its a whole vibe. There's different styles on the LP and I felt it unfair from one to the next to say they were all R&B/Soul or Hip Hop. If anything, they're sub genres. Alternative just seemed the most fitting of the iTunes, Spotify, Tidal etc. options. If I could customize it though I would call it Sub-Pop or something.

Stanley: Sub-Pop, I like that, it’s an interesting take on the fluidity of genres, and the social construction of sound. The instrumentation on the album, is this all you?

Tim: Yeah, every synth, piano, guitar and bass line. Some sounds I hand designed myself. You get bored using the same sounds other producers use, so I created my own sound palette. Songs like Ludes, Bloom…, and Grey Land, have some of these synths from my library.

Stanley: Wow, that's incredible, man. Seeing/hearing you grow as a musician - on instruments other than the piano - and as a producer is inspiring. And the level of depth makes me appreciate album more, too!

Tim: Thanks man that means a lot. We’ve known each other for some time now so I can really appreciate that.

She was comparing Nicki Minaj getting butt enhancements and her daughter being ashamed...

Stanley: You did this really cool thing using voicemails/film clips, which gives the album a cinematic feel. What was the inspiration behind using audio clips?

Tim: Tribe Albums, Kanye albums etc. larger than that though, it’s an audio experience to a silent film I’m working on. The audio in the beginning and on the second to last are from an Uber driver one of my friend's had. She was comparing Nicki Minaj getting butt enhancements and her daughter being ashamed because she herself had a big butt. Not sure if they relate but it provides some comic relief and tied the album like a shoe string. I think that's important when designing anything. Repetition and having a niche. I probably won't do it the same exact way with the vocal samples on the next project, but there will be something that you can take away and say "hey, that's from the such n such album".

The cover art for Maxey's Baeland inspired by Mi-Sex's Computer Games

Stanley: Wow, an Uber driver? That’s perfect lol. There’re so many interesting layers to the album that make it appealing to me - it’s rebellious against standards of sound and beauty, it’s an ode your influences, it’s cinematic, and so many other things.

Stanley: On “Woman" you use this really interesting clip of a woman talking about the science behind pop/popular music, which talks about why we like certain songs. What were you trying to convey with that clip?

Tim: The song is titled Woman, and there's an audio clip about commercial viability in music. I think they go hand-in-hand. She's describing commercial beauty, one of the largest social constructs we've placed on women in particular. It’s the reason why I put a barcode on the front. The album kinda rebels against current commercial appeal. I understand how to make “hits” but I rather experiment with hits than make similar vibes to stuff that exists.

...I created something to represent me overcoming those fears. The fears of not being "commercially beautiful" is something my music and women, in our societal context, share.

Stanley: The cover art is interesting, conceptually. The bar code, the woman upside down, the color schemes. What was the inspiration behind the album cover?

Tim: Economically, music has devalued over the past couple of years because of streaming. This kind of discouraged my creativity at one point. So instead of giving up, I created something to represent me overcoming those fears. The fears of not being "commercially beautiful" is something my music and women, in our societal context, share. As far as the girl being upside down, I thought it matched the unconventional style of the project. And plus it just looks cooler to me that way.

Stanley: What do you want listeners to take away from your Baeland?

Tim: Nothing in particular. I just want them to feel a wave of emotions. It can mean different things for different people. If anything I would like for them to continue with me as I grow as a composer.

Hopefully you’ve updated your phone to iOS 11 by now. There’s an improved control center, combined lock screen and Notification Center, a redesigned App Store, improved Siri, as well as the camera, and some other changes. The changes that come along with iOS 11 are equally improvements in aesthetic and functionality. But, the new iOS update offers the beginnings of something that could be special with sharing music.

With the new iOS update Apple Music users are able to share music with each other, follow friends and see what their listening to. The social network component of the app is located in the “For You” tab. As with other social networks, you can make your account public or private, and you have the ability to place playlists at the center of your account. Spotify presented this years ago, as it was pretty much built into the app, but if you’ve ever used Spotify, then you know the social network of the streaming service varies from the desktop to the phone. The social media component on the app is a lot clunkier and harder to find on the phone.

There are other apps devoted to sharing music - Cymbal, SoundCloud, and some others - that allow you to create a music community, but none of the streaming services have quite addressed how to make the individual listening experience a communal experience. As with most ideas, the first attempt usually leaves a lot to be desired, but this is a quality attempt at connecting music listeners and fans to each other.

It’s twenty minuets before show time, and Rahbi is dressed and ready to take the stage. Rahbi’s wearing his gold leopard print tights, gold boots, a glove on his right hand with a pearl pinky ring and bracelets on his wrist, shades, Greco-Roman themed necklace, and a laurel wreath crown. If you’ve ever met Rahbi, or have seen perform, then you know his clothes are an extension of his personality: fun, passionate, unconventional, and challenging norms. Born and raised in Atlanta, Rahbi is the product of a rich musical tradition that has influenced and shaped his artistry. After having spent the early part of his career signed to LA Reid, and touring supporting other artists, Rahbi has been making major strides with his own music, amassing a following of fans he calls, The Beautiful People.

Following performances at New York City’s legendary, Rockwood Music Hall, Rahbi made a stop by Philadelphia’s Pubb Webb, and I, along with The Larry Lambert Project, had the opportunity to play behind him. After the show I talked to Rahbi about his performance, music culture in Atlanta, some of the lessons he’s learned from being signed to LA Reid, and more. Here’s our conversation:

Stanley: First, I want to get into the show you just played in Philly. I had a lot of fun playing behind you! The music is great for the audience and musicians. You're a really gifted and talented performer.

Performing in a new city, where you're being introduced to a new audience of people, some for the first time, what was your mindset?

Rahbi: Thanks for those compliments. You too are a musical beast! It was a pleasure to have you be a part of the magic.

I was extremely excited to be performing in a new city. I hadn't been to Philly since my days as a background singer for Donnie. So, coming back as a solo artist was definitely lit! I never know what to expect from new crowds. It keeps me on my toes & forces me to make fresh choices during performances. It's like a rush.

Stanley: You've been performing and recording for a little while now -- over 15 years, but I’m curious to know how you got your start in music?

Rahbi: I've been singing professionally since 7th grade and was signed to a major record deal by La Reid as part of the boy band 4th Avenue. After high school, I went on to major in vocal performance at Georgia State University where I was classically trained. I later switched my major to Music Management. While at Georgia State, I joined a musical theatre group and it soon became a new passion. During my last semester at Georgia State, I began traveling the world as a background singer for Motown recording artist Donnie. All of this before I even realized I wanted to be a solo artist. So I guess you can say that was some pretty cool training, lol.

Stanley Wow, that's incredible that you've had so many different types of experiences!

Your background in performance theatre really stands out in your live shows. I can say from witnessing you perform that you're giving the audience more than just vocals, or dancing.

Rahbi: Bro, thank you so much! And yes, it's def more than vocals & dancing. It's about an honest connection to the music...the message...and the audience. And living in that moment!

Stanley: When you were a part of 4th Avenue, and signed to LA Reid, what did you take away from that experience?

Rahbi

1. Learn to write, produce, & know where your money is going

2. Know yourself & define your core values. Once you discover that, only align yourself with people/projects with those same values.

4. GOD is your biggest plug and has already given you everything you need. Have faith with action and watch your every dream come true!

Stanley: That's really great advice, especially from someone whose been in the industry for so long.

Atlanta has become known for its rap/trap scene, and to some extent its mainstream R&B scene. But, can you talk some about the indie R&B culture?

Rahbi: I do agree. Atlanta is widely known for trap and straight ahead R&B music. However, there is sooooo much more. We have an endless amount of talented artists that create rock, soul, jazz, gospel, electronica, glam, folk, house music & more... Since the introduction of artists like Janelle Monae, Jidenna, & St. Beauty, I feel people are starting to realize that Atlanta has a lot more to offer musically. The indie artists here are also started to unite on songs, videos, shows and more. This assists in making our voices even stronger. I even curated my own concert series entitled Strange Fruit, which highlighted the eclectic artists of all art forms and genres! Here's a song by my fellow Atlanta Rockstar, Willie Hyn that I was a part of entitled Art Class!

Stanley We all go through different phases/chapters of our lives. What would you call this chapter of your life?

Rahbi Hmmmm I guess I'd call it "Laying The Foundation." Over the years I've seen what it takes to successfully make a name for yourself as a artist. 1. Focus 2. Vision 3. Self Respect 4. Faith w/ Action & 5. Responsibility

I've been forced to learn the ins & outs of the business and how to create my own opportunities. When you do that, nothing can stop you! My foundation is now stronger than ever before and I'm excited to release new artistic offerings for my Beautiful People to enjoy all over the world.

Often times when discussing musical innovation and instrumental skill, the discussion is limited to males - specifically white males. But, as often the case, there is a population that has seemed to slip through the cracks in this discussion - Black, women guitarists.

Consider Sister Rosetta Tharpe, a guitarist, songwriter, and singer. Tharpe was known for her fiery vocal expression and her ability to seamlessly merge genres such as Gospel, R&B, and Pop. And in some circles, she’s credited as the originator of Rock N’ Roll. We can see the spirit and fire of Sister Rosetta Tharpe in current-day popular music through the likes of Alabama Shakes front-woman, Brittany Howard, who also is able to seamlessly merge genres, while producing spirit and passion-filled vocals.

A name we could soon be adding to the list of great guitarists is Gabby Logan aka Guitar Gabby, a guitarist based out of Atlanta, GA. Gabby is the front-woman for her band The Txlips. Already garnering endorsements from the likes of Ernie Ball and Empire Ears, and having been featured in Guitar World Magazine, Gabby has been making her mark on the music world for some time now. Currently on a tour with her band The Txlips that will take them to AfroPunk (Brooklyn and Atlanta), Detroit, and Florida, Gabby took some time to talk about her musical journey, gender bias and racism in music, and some of her new music. Here’s our conversation:

Stanley Thanks so much for doing this interview! When did you start playing guitar? Did you take lessons?

Gabby 11 years ago...or it may be more by now actually...jeez I’m old lol. Nah, I actually started teaching myself! I studied with a classical teacher for 3 years, which is when I learned classical guitar. After that, I kept teaching myself guitar, and I’ve been teaching myself since then. I think its actually been a smooth 12-13 years now lol.

Stanley It's funny that you mention Sister Rosetta Tharpe. I recently learned about her about two years ago. She actually inspired me to do this interview in some ways. Her influence is so deeply tied the roots of American music, but she's often overlooked, as an artist and guitar player.

I wanted to change gears a bit, and talk about some of the music you’ve put out as a solo artist, as well as with your band, The Txlips. Can you talk some about The Lost One and huge single, Hold On A Little Less Tighter?

Gabby I composed both songs. The Lost One was a song I actually wrote 7 years ago when I was going through something in life. The song represents when you are going through something or you think you are looking for something or someone in life and you maybe come to a realization one day that you are not supposed to be looking for that thing or that person.

Hold on a Little Less Tighter was written around 7 years ago also. I wrote that song about leaving a relationship I was just ending and I was telling myself that I needed to hold on a little less tighter to the person I was attached to.

Stanley Over the years, the guitar has been predominately identified as a male instrument, specifically white male instrument. As a black woman, and guitarist, can you talk about your experiences in guitar/music spaces?

Gabby I have experienced so much within this. For starters, I do realize that the industry subconsciously caters to white men. Like period. I experience the negative end of this everywhere, from social media, to in person at venues when white sound engineers want to play with my sound in the middle of a show (this happened and I had to stop the entire show to cancel his ass. :) lol.

I created my band The Txlips Band to represent for black women in rock. I want to achieve all that God has in store for us. We are good ole rock n roll with the edge of other influences and styles.

I often feel that I get overlooked because I am a woman that plays guitar in a male dominated industry as well as being a black woman on top of that. The thing I have learned though is that I don't give a shit lol. People will always be ass holes, like as a whole we can be some ass holes. I decided that that negative atmosphere and industry won't stop my parade. As a matter of fact, ALL of you WILL listen and watch and notice and follow. This is part of the reason why I created my current all black woman band. Because we need a space that is for us and by us. I created my band because I know that we need representation period. We will never go anywhere.

Stanley We've seen some artists intentionally create all-woman bands, in particular Beyoncé's touring band - The Sugar Mommas and Prince's 3rd Eye Girl. Can you talk some about your band? What you all hope to achieve, the style of music you all play, etc.

Gabby I think it is important for black women to exist in the realms of rock n roll because this is a genre that black people created. I often feel that black women are pushed aside especially in rock n roll and I felt that needed to change. I created my band The Txlips Band to represent for black women in rock. I want to achieve all that God has in store for us. We are good ole rock n roll with the edge of other influences and styles. We curate many sounds into one and express ourselves through that in rock.

Most music fans have had at least one experience where they did something a little crazy for an artist they like. Spend excess amounts of money (that we don’t really have), miss work (a clear contradiction with the first point), travel across state lines to see someone, and so on. For me, one of my moments was yesterday when I went to the meet and greet to see SZA.

Following the release of her debut album, CTRL, R&B singer, SZA stopped by Hollywood’s Urban Outfitters for a meet and greet + album signing with fans. The ticket for admission was buying a CD (even though I don’t have CD player, it’s a good keepsake. Plus, she can’t sign my Apple Music account). The event ran from 3 PM – 9 PM. En route to the event, I saw a tweet from her account, and it didn’t look like there were too many people there, so I’m thinking “great, this’ll be an in-n-out kind of thing.” Wrong. Really wrong. After buying the CD (around 5 PM), the event coordinators pointed where the line began. And that’s when it set in – this is going to take a while. Like, a long while.

Standing in line isn’t exactly fun, but me, Jode (girlfriend of the blog), and Taigen (friend of the blog) made the most of our wait. Every now and then you’d hear whispers of people saying “she’s taking a break.” These are the times when the line didn’t move at all. About an hour and a half in – it starts to hit you (and your back) – that you’ve been standing in line for a little while. Plus, there’s this California sun beaming down on your head, which is draining all of the life and energy out of you. At about two hours you start the questions, asking yourself “is this really worth it?” and rationalize with yourself (well, I did get a CD *shrug emoji). But, then around the 2-and-a-half-hour mark, and closer to the building, you can see SZA standing inside greeting fans. FULL BLOWN FAN BOY MODE sets in.

Now – I’m not going to lie, or exacerbate the truth – I’m not the biggest SZA fan, at least in comparison to some of the other people in line. I liked the album (a lot), but I’ve had my doubts about her as an artist. But, listen, when I saw SZA through that window? I lost my cool lol. Not to mention, TDE executive, Punch, and TDE label-mate Isiah Rashad (really tripping now). Finally near the entrance, the security guard directs traffic into a small line. And now the moment, the three-hour wait, and there’s SZA in front of me. One of her team members takes the phone for the picture she signs the album. And, she’s giving everyone hugs? I mean, she’s been there for hours (like 6 hours, standing), and she’s still smiling, smelling like Bed, Bath, and BEYOND, having conversations with everyone. Exhibiting the type of grace and kindness you’d want someone to show, but it’s not always guaranteed. In sum, meeting SZA was well worth the wait.

Brothers, John and Joel have been playing instruments and studying music for over 15 years. But, their trajectory to becoming a production team hasn't been as linear as you'd think. John, a former middle school English teacher, went to college on a [marching] band scholarship. Joel, studied engineering in college, and went on to become a mechanical engineer. Though both of them started on different career paths, they soon realized that music, specifically production, is what they wanted to do. The gigs and the calls kept coming in, so John and Joel collectively decided that they were going to keep their jobs until they were stable enough to make the transition into music. But, it wasn’t too much longer that both of them would be laid off – at the same, no less - forcing them to go head first into music, production. Something both attribute to God's plan for their lives. I sat down with 42*North for a conversation discussing their faith, the influence and legacy of neo-soul, the future of Christian Hip-Hop, and more. Here’s our conversation:

How’d the name 42*North come about?

John: About four years ago, we were with our brother, Wes Pendleton, working on music, and he pushed us to create a name. So, 42 North is actually a highway in Jersey that goes into Philly. Growing up, our Dad sang in a choir and he was always going to Philly on 42 North. So, when I thought about a name that identified us, 42 North made sense – “from Jersey to Philly." Our experience with Philly was through music, especially coming up during the golden era of the neo-soul movement. That was hugely influential for us.

Can y’all talk about that era and it’s influence?

Joel: I think neo-soul, and it's sound still has its own niche. It’s not as prevalent or as popular as it used to be, but it’s coming back as like a “cool” influence on pop culture. Like, Pop music has elements of soul, neo-soul. Current rap, sampled into it, and R&B of course – it is soul music. So, I don’t really see it coming back as it used to be. Right now I think it’s kind of the cool sample-y type of thing that you always insert into Pop music.

As far influences go, who are some of the people y’all look to?

John: For me, personally, I was in [marching] band, so that’s kind of what I did growing up. But I was always a fan of rap. My parents really didn’t favor us listening to rap [laughs] or secular stuff, so I was introduced to Cross Movement, Christian Hip-Hop (CHH), and that was critical in building me up, theologically and musically. And then when I started playing bass toward the end of High School, I started getting into Tye Tribbett’s stuff, specifically his Life album. Earth, Wind, and Fire’s The Way of The World was huge for me – it was like a “yo, I’m going to play bass now" moment for me. Me and my brother –would just shed – literally – we would be in our friend’s shed, playing to neo-soul songs. Well, at least trying [laughs]. That was the first thing we were playing, even before church music. Power 99’s The Come Up Show was huge for me, too.

Joel: Yeah – it’s kind of the same for me, but more neo-soul and R&B stuff. Musiq Soulchild, Eric Roberson, and Dwele were like the three dudes that I would just have on repeat. I learned all the Dwele songs on the Rhodes, all the neo-soul chords, it’s kind of like the basis for how I started fiddling with the piano.

John: Jazz was also big influence for me – a lot straight ahead stuff. But, Fusion was huge for me when I started playing bass. As funny as it sounds funny, but Acid Jazz was a big influence for me – like Jamiroquai, those bass lines were incredible. My introduction to them was Space Cowboy, learning how to carry those bass lines taught me a lot.

As a production duo, who are some of the artists y’all have worked with?

John: We got our start on production almost four years ago, when our friend Wes kind of found us. It’s funny, we met at his church and he said, “I knew y’all weren’t ‘church musicians’” [laughs]. It’s like he could just hear it. He gave us our start with a guy he developed as well – Tragic Hero. That was like the first thing cats heard on SoundCloud. Then from there he introduced us to a guy named Wit Shahbazian. After that we started working more in the current CHH genre with guys like Andy Mineo, Social Club, Dre Murray, Alex Faith…

Joel: Taelor Gray, Christon Gray – there are a lot of the current guys in CHH that we got plugged into. The only guys from the older generation we kind of work with are Da Truth and Ambassador – but we just mainly toured with them.

John: Yeah – we toured with them for like two years. That’s before we started really pursuing production.

What made you all make the transition to production?

John: A lot of circumstances, but it kind of just made sense to shift gears. We still travel, but our mindset is kind of that we only want to play with artists that we’ve made music for, mainly because we feel more comfortable reinterpreting the music ourselves since we had a hand in producing it.

We’ve been fortunate enough to not have to search for artists, and just push out projects. - Joel McNeil

Is there something you all look for in an artist?

John: Well [laughs] they definitely have to pass the test of credibility with the homie, Wes – just in terms of them fitting our brand. And our sound – which is soul, alternative, hip-hop kind of music, so people that can fit that mold. But, I don’t think we discriminate with who we’ll work with, though.

Joel: It’s more of a personable thing. We’ve been fortunate enough to not have to search for artists, and just push out projects. We just kind of meet people, get along with them, and then find out they're artists.

Andy Mineo - "Hear My Heart," a tribute to his sister Grace during International Week of the Deaf. Produced by 42*North.

How important is the relationship between you all, the producers, and the artist in the collaboration process?

Joel: Very important. It’s like… everybody’s in the studio for a session; it’s kind of weird if you can’t really vibe with them. You don’t know what they like, or what they’re looking for. You’re just fiddling around ‘til you appease them. You’re like feeling them looking over your shoulder, like, “hmm, do I like that? Do I hate it?” When you have a relationship, it’s easier to say, “you shouldn’t do this,” or make suggestions about how certain chord progressions fit their voice, or what their fan base will like.

John: The trust element is big. When an artist doesn’t trust you, or they’re acting like they don’t trust you, it makes production harder because you can’t be free and do what you do...

Joel: And ultimately, it’s just not fun [laughs]. It’s usually not worth the money, working with someone you don’t want to work with, and you’re going to hear that in the music.

As a production team, you all have produced outside of Hip-Hop as well. Does the process change based on the genre you're producing?

John: For me, there are different elements that can stand throughout genres. Elements of vibing and grooving come natural to us. So if we're making an alternative record, we're vibing, and looking to see what fits. But, having the mindset of the sonic qualities of a genre informs how we'll go about making a track.

Joel: It's always a little spontaneous, but the sonic quality of a genre let's us know how far we can go. Finding that pocket, whether it's alternative, Hip-Hop, Pop... finding that pocket is critical, then you can build on it. And for me, that's the hardest thing - finding that pocket. Finding the space to lock in the drums with those first sounds, or locking in that sample - that's the hardest part. Once you get that, the rest of the beat is easy.

Willow Stephens - "Bird's Eye View" Produced by 42*North.

I want to change gears a bit, and talk the faith element of the music you all produce. In terms of music being a unifying force, do you think Christian Hip-Hop can be a vehicle to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ? Especially to those that may not find church appealing.

John: I think the genre has spread the gospel, but I think as of late, it can be more effective if we have more unity. I think CHH is a microcosm of the larger faith community. As Christians, we’re pretty divided as well. There’s been more unity because of real persecution becoming a reality, and I think the Lord uses those situations to bring people together. CHH is kind of unsettled on how ministry should look.

And also, I think people forget that God even gave us grace for our differences – but it’s how we handle those differences, you know? That mentality should flow into the art – before you go and crucify someone and the way they do something, we should be open to the reality of this may be the way God is using this person.

Joel: Yeah, and let’s not just use our efforts to throw stones. Let’s not waste time making our separation further. Let’s use it to unite and do the work of the things we actually agree on.

God gave us grace for our differences - John McNeil

Often times producers don't have the chance to speak directly to the listener in the same way the artist does, but they have a strong influence in shaping the sound, and feel of a song. What do you all want listeners to take away from the music that y'all produce?

Joel: First, we want to inspire people musically. We want people to hear that something was actually put into making a song -- that there was real feeling, and time put into the music. You know? We want people to feel that this is real music.

John: Authenticity. God's been blessing us to be able to work with people that've allowed us to be ourselves, and not make us do things we don't want to do. You don't want people to hear that you're not having fun. We want people to feel that authenticity.

On a surprisingly warm day in January, in North Philly, Lee Mo is fresh off of a two-month long tour in Europe that took her to Germany, Austria, Slovakia, and Switzerland. Born in Baltimore, Lee Mo moved to Philadelphia to study music at Temple’s Boyer College of Music concentrating on Jazz vocal performance. Since moving to Philly, Lee Mo has taken the city by storm becoming a highly sought after vocalist. Though Lee Mo’s technical skills were developed in college, she attributes her passion and zeal for music to her upbringing in church. Over lunch, not far from where Lee Mo honed her skills as a musician, we discussed the lasting impression growing up in church has had on her, some of the highs and lows of writing music, and being mentored by Anita Baker. Here’s our conversation:

Who is Lee Mo?

I’m a musician. I’ve been surrounded by music my entire life. I feel like it’s a part of me, and I’m a part of it. My brand is just feel good music. I also want to send a deeper message about love, about – just sharing the struggle that we feel as black people, I want to make people feel good, and just sing about what people can relate to, about what people may not know how to express for themselves. That’s what I’m about. I feel proud to be a part of such a rich history of music – whether I’m singing jazz; or gospel; or soul, I want that to show.

I know you’re originally from Baltimore, but I’m interested in learning more about your personal story and upbringing. What made you want to pursue music?

Yeah, I grew up in Baltimore, in a religious household. We were always in church, we always listened to gospel records, and even as a child I could feel emotionally connected to the music. I connected with the chords, with the singers that I listened to: Kim Burrell, Yolanda Adams, Karen Clark-Sheard, Darryl Coley, and I imitated them. Eventually, I realized that this [singing] is something that I’m good at. Then in High School, when I was a part of the choir, and that really pushed me out there to do solos and develop my own sense of musicality.

I was adopted and raised in a foster home; I didn’t know my biological parents. As a kid, I was surrounded by a lot of other kids who were also foster kids. My foster mother, my mom, she had kids of her own that were grown. She was raising all of these kids that came from different backgrounds, but we all have something in common – we’re all in this system now; for whatever reason, our parents couldn’t take care of us. So, having that background, that curiosity of…well, that person could be my parent, or that person could be my sister, that curiosity kind of fueled my creativity, and makes my approach to music different.

I feel proud to be a part of such a rich history of music – whether I’m singing jazz; or gospel; or soul, I want that to show.

I’ve heard some artists talk about how their childhood, specifically difficult times, informed their creativity, allowing them to create a world through music. Is that something that happened for you?

Oh, yeah! I didn’t even consciously think of it that way, but that space in my head; that wonder poured out into my music and my art in general. Whether it was through drawing, painting, or instruments I always looked for ways to be creative.

So, you have these experiences in church and at home that are fueling your creativity. Do you remember when you wrote your first song?

Photo Courtesy of: @Maximilianimages

[Laughs] I don’t remember exactly, but I was young, about 9 or 10. It was a Gospel song. So, my siblings and I used to play church on Sunday’s before going to church – my brother would be the Pastor, I was the choir director, and I would sing the sermonic selection. My other brother played the drums. I wrote this song for the church choir called “I Just Want To Praise the Lord.” We used to sing it every week – it was the only song the choir sung [laughs]. And when I wrote it, I was actually making fun of an organist that played at this church we used to go to, and she had this style of playing that I thought was hilarious. No matter which song was playing, she always had that same rhythm, so when I wrote my first song I basically mimicked that.

Do you see any similarities between Baltimore and Philly?

Yeah, I feel like Baltimore and Philly are similar in a lot of ways. When I first came to Philly, Broad Street reminded me of street in Baltimore called North Avenue, it felt like home. The transition wasn’t hard for me at all. Musically, for me, I think being around musicians growing up, understanding the language of music, allowed for me to be embraced by the music community here. The musicality that’s here in Philly makes me feel like I’m at home.

What was the inspiration behind your single One Last Chance?

So, I started writing One Last Chance a little over a year ago with a pianist named Eric Wortham. At first I only had a verse and a hook, initially, but we came up with the concept together for the most part. When I was going to Temple, I would go to the tech center and lay down tracks. They also had a recording booth in there that I used. I had sampled a James Brown beat, Funky Drummer. I had played a chord progression over the beat, but I didn’t know what I wanted to do with it, so we eventually ended up going a different route. The concept was really [laughs] the lyrics get right to it. What I like about it is – in terms of relationships – is that you can be almost fed up with somebody,but also need a reminder of what we have; don’t let this go. That’s what I talk about in the second verse “don’t you believe that what we have is good/how come you don’t treat me like you should/cant you see this love is real/then let’s go back to how love should feel. So, it’s not just a “oh you treat me bad!” It’s also about restoring something; this is your opportunity, and then I’m gone [laughs].

Your music’s really poetic. Particularly in your song Don’t Have A Reason, you have this line where you say, “Torn between my heart, torn between my mind, cant see clear ‘cause my love is blind?” I’m no writer, but I appreciate good writing/lyrics…

I don’t really consider myself a writer...

Really?

I mean, I do…because, technically. Okay. There are people that can write a song everyday. If I try, I can push something out, but I’m not a machine. Not to say that being a songwriter means you’re a machine. I don’t hold myself there to that level just yet. I feel like I’m just learning how to write songs.

With that said. Would you consider yourself as a person that needs to "live life," then write?

Yeah, I like to write from a real place. I don’t like feeling pressured to write. For me, if the inspiration is not there, I leave it alone. It’s not necessarily where I need to live life. If there’s nothing that comes organically or naturally, then I just don’t mess with it until that time comes. For example, with Don’t Have A Reason, Harry and Mario already had the music completed from beginning to end, I heard it, and knew that it had something special. It’s so cliché [laughs], but the story, the music, almost spoke to me. Like, I could hear “this what’s supposed to be said.” For some instances the song comes quicker, other times I just like to leave it alone. But when you’re an artist, there’s pressure on you to finish a complete project, people asking, “when is the album coming out,” and it’s just like, “YO!” [laughs].

I want to change gears a bit. So, I’m on Twitter one day, and I noticed that you and Anita Baker are, like, friends? How’d this happen?

OMG! [Laughs]. So, I was in a rehearsal for a gig I was doing for RecPhilly. But I was doing a cover of Anita Baker’s Angel. I just recorded myself singing a piece of it, and I tweeted her. In the past I might’ve tweeted Anita Baker, probably. But she didn’t show me no love [laughs]. For whatever reason, she responded to the clip saying “Thank you, young one, this made me smile” or something like that. And then, I like almost died. Then she followed me back. Now, she’s reading my tweets all the time.

When my song, Don’t Have A Reason Came Out, I tweeted her the song, and said, “Hey, I just put out my first single, would you mind taking a listen to it?” But I didn’t attach the song to it, because I know how artists can be – people are constantly tweeting them “listen to my song!” and I didn’t want to be that person. Next thing she responds giving a full review of the song! She sought out the song. And you can tell she really listened to it – she said things like, “this sounds like a live session, the vamp at the end brings it home, etc.” That meant so much to me.

She’s [Anita Baker] become like a mentor to you?

Yeah, and actually, I remember there was a DJ from the UK, and they had my song on the UK Soul Charts, or something like that. At first I was in the top ten, then I fell in the charts the next week. So, I retweet him saying, “I’m still up there!” So, she sees my tweet and responds, Don’t worry about the charts, it’s about the love of the music. I’ve never had a number one album in my life.

People will come and try to give you their validation, but whether it’s good or bad, I don’t want you to get caught up in it.

Wait, really?

Right! And she went on to say, “people will come and try to give you their validation, but whether it’s good or bad, I don’t want you to get caught up in it.” And you know, sometimes we get caught up in that stuff – sometimes the charts are a reflection of the quality, sometimes it’s not. So, I’m just glad she took the time to do that for me. I’m hoping I can meet her in person one day.

Raised in Southern California, Cameo Adele has been honing her skills as a vocalist and songwriter for years. Last month the singer-songwriter, released her debut album, To You From and Venus - an exploration of jazz, liberation, funk, and spirituality. Following the release of her debut album, I had a conversation with Cameo about her influences, women's liberation, spirituality, and more. Here's our conversation:

Thanks for taking out the time to talk about your album! So, how'd you get into making music?

No problem, thanks for having me! Both of my parents are singers and my Dad plays the bass too; he was a part of a few bands that had some success during the 80s. Growing up, my mom was my vocal coach. I started writing songs around 12, and started getting serious about making music around 14. I recorded a few originals at the time but nothing I was super proud of. Around 18, I joined a collective of artists out in the Valley where I was staying at the time called First Class. I eventually ended up leaving them and moving to Anaheim where I joined a collective of artists called Deadwest. Being in both of those collectives, with this desire, love, and passion for music, helped me gain the necessary confidence in myself to really pursue my own sound.

The production and overall sound on the album are great! Who are some of the producers/musicians you worked with?

Thanks so much! For the most part I exclusively work with my producer Ujah. Ujah's a musician, vocalist and producer. I also worked with Andrew David V. They're collectively known as VXV. I was able to get their shared talents on a few songs such as Sensation, Sonica Sonata, and the B&H interlude. A producer named Oso was kind enough to lend us his beat for Never which Ujah just added a few dynamics and guitar too. Other than that, Ujah is to credit for the overall sound of the album. Thanks to his musicianship and connections, we were able to get other musicians on the songs as well to bring in that authentic sound. We had Scotr Dagg on trumpet, Stephen Wood on saxophone, Daniel Kristoff on piano, and Trevor Torres on violin.

I'm interested in learning more about you and your team's creative process. Do y'all typically start with music, a chord progression/beat, then write lyrics? Or, is it a fluid process?

We have a pretty scattered process actually (laughs). It's ironic because a lot of other local producers are so impressed with our process, but it's not all that glamorous or fluid or well organized. Sometimes I'll start a song a capellaand I'll send it to Ujah via voice memo - a super minimal recording. If he likes it, he'll either immediately start creating to it, or he'll wait 'til I come by and he'll figure out the chord progression on his guitar and build from there. Sometimes we build together from the ground up, especially when I'm working with VXV. They'll begin building the beat, then I'll start to write, and when I'm stuck Ujah can help me with melodies being a vocalist or even lyrics sometimes. Andrew also chimes in with lyrics when we work together, so it's a full team effort. As we're creating, Ujah will think of what the song we're creating kinda feels like and we'll reference it for inspiration. There's usually a few songs being referenced every time we work. And keep in mind we are very paced workers, the final sound of a song is so far from the original draft a lot of the time. So there's A LOT of revising that goes on.

What was the motivation behind starting Run with a tribal chant? What's it saying?

The beginning of Run is chanting "Ose Baba." It's a Nigerian praise that means "Thank you God" or "Thank you Father." The song itself is about measuring up to God. Ujah is Nigerian, but spent time growing up in the States. I'm always begging him to share more Nigerian culture with me and to incorporate it into the music, 'cause I definitely think it's something that makes him original that intrigues interest. When we were creating Run, it had a very natural tribal feel to me so I just started to hound him like "we gotta make it more tribal, let's make it sound like Nigeria" (laughs). He found a sample of a man chanting Ose Baba, and we originally had that but I kept hounding Ujah to do it himself so it was authentic and luckily our creative team backed me up on that so what you hear is Ujah himself in all his Nigerian glory (laughs).

I'd like for my music to help others feel less alienated and alone.

The idea of a strong, liberated woman of color accompanied by the planet Venus was the original blue print idea for the cover. But, the artist, Brandy Turner (@b.loved_ on instagram) brought that idea to a whole 'nother level. Her art already featured beautiful, liberated woman of color so she was a perfect fit to bring my loose idea to life.

I'm also completely enamored by human behavior, astrology, and spirituality. Much of the album, artwork, the title, and the story the album tells, all intertwine with the energy I've been given in this lifetime. I'm a Taurus, which means I am ruled by the planet/the goddess of love Venus, thus the title To You From Venus. Taurus is exalted in (secondary influence) the moon which carries the energy of emotion. The cover of the woman dripping over the moon can be interpreted as a woman submitting herself to that emotion, which coincides with the story and message of the album, the Aries constellation can also be found in the top right of the cover. Aries being my cusp thus another energy I emit into the universe that shapes my experience.

As a writer, what's something you want listeners to walk with?

To You From Venus is organized in the sequence of a love story. I mostly want to convey how self discovery and love can force you to look inward. I want listeners to be able to find themselves somewhere in that process. I want listeners to realize how much growth is still left for them as they progress through the sequence of emotions. Ultimately, I'd like for my music to help others feel less alienated and alone.

You've probably been listening to Chris Sholar for a while now. Remember Kanye and Jay-Z's No Church In The Wild? John Legend's Love In The Future? Nina Revisted? These are just a few of the projects Chris has helped shape the sound of as a producer and guitarist. Over the course of the year, Chris has contributed to Solange's A Seat at The Table, his own project Work Songs with Jamieo Brown Transcendence, and most recently A Tribe Called Quest's We Got It From Here... Thank You 4 Your Service. With a resume filled with credits ranging from Kanye West to Mariah Carey; Gregory Porter to Ledisi, and many others, Chris has made a name for himself in the music industry as a reliable source for production and guitar expertise, becoming one of the most sought after session musicians. Following the release of Tribe's album I caught up with Chris for a discussion of his musical influences, recording with Tribe, his work with Jamieo Brown, and more. Here's our conversation:

Thanks so much for doing the interview! What was your introduction to music?

Thanks for having me, Stanley. My introduction to music was my parents. My mom played piano at church and my dad was a bassist. There was always good music playing around the house. My parents had records from different genres, ranging from artists like Aretha Franklin to Earl Klugh, to Marvin Gaye and Michael Jackson, etc. I didn't realize it at the time, but it was a great lesson in versatility for me. Hearing diverse sounds gave me a big pool to draw from when I later became a musician.

You studied Music at William Patterson in NJ. How do you translate your training in Music to hip-hop and R&B gigs?

Yeah, I studied Jazz at William Paterson. Jazz is an intelligent musical art form. It gives you so many tools to improvise over different styles. It was an easy transition because a lot of early hip hop sampled jazz and funk records. I understood what was happening musically, but i still needed to study the "feel" of hip hop music. Once I got the "feel" right I could connect the dots.

You've played for wide range of artists. As a musician/producer, what do you contribute your versatility to?

I attribute my versatility to listening to different genres constantly. Having different sources material to draw from. I love guitarists that are versatile. People like George Benson, Chet Atkins, Jeff Lee Johnson and Jimi Hendrix. As a producer I used the same method. I listened and absorbed versatile producers styles like Q-tip, J Dilla, Timbaland, Salaam Remi and Kanye.

Speaking of Q-Tip. You've been Tip's right hand man for a while now. How'd did y'all meet?

We met through a drummer name Jonathan Blake. Q-tip was looking to put together a band. There was a little jam session at Jonathan's house. Q-tip came with Weldon Irving and hung out listening to cats play. Afterward, Tip asked me about going on tour with him, and of course I said YES! From that moment we hung out every day shedding together and listening to records. I would go to school in the mornings and spend the evening at Tips house listening to his albums and shedding. We would also watch performances of Funkadelic, James Brown, Sly and the family stone, Led Zepplin and the Police. We'd study everything! We did this for about 2 years.

What was the experience like working on Tribe's album?

I went through a range of emotions working on this album. First it was amazing! Everybody in the world had been waiting for another Tribe album. The sessions were so much fun because everyday I would see one of my heroes in the studio. People like Busta Rhymes, Kanye West, Swizz Beatz, D'angelo, Queen Latifah, Chris Rock, Andre 3000, Lauryn Hill, etc. -- Hip-Hop royalty.

Then Phife died...and I can't even verbalize what that was like. It was very tough to say the least. There was such an outpouring of love and appreciation from fans and other artist. Still It was very difficult to resume work, but everyone worked extremely hard to finish what we started. I could see that Q-tip wasn't sleeping much those days. He was like a man possessed on a mission. I have so many memories of happiness and pain working on this project. There was such an atmosphere of unity when we were working. There was no ego in those sessions. Everybody was listening together, vibing together, and cheering each other on. It was beautiful. I will never forget that. I felt like I was apart of something very sacred and special. I wanted to do everything I could to contribute my musical gift and assist.

There was no ego in those sessions. Everybody was listening together, vibing together, and cheering each other on. It was beautiful.

We got it from here... feels really warm, sonically. How much of a role did analog equipment play in the making of this album?

Yes, we used tons of analog equipment on this album. We used an old Neve Console (Same one that was originally owned by the band BLONDIE). I ran my guitars through Vintage Echoplex tape Delay Machine for most of the album not to mention using old Synths (Juno, Oberheim, Moogs, Farfisa,). Q-tip has all of this vintage gear in his studio. Blair wells (the engineer) is a genius at putting those things together. He has a great understanding of sonic frequencies. Q-tip also has a deep understanding of sonic shaping.

Man, yeah, the tone on your guitar felt really good. Melatonin is an incredible song, which really features you on guitar, and you can really hear the Echoplex working. Was the chord progression/guitar riff something you came up with?

Yes I came up with that riff. It was a small idea I was working on…Louis Cato also added his magic to it. Then Q-tip put it all together in song format. Tip is a master at taking a small music idea and painting a big picture with it. He has a great sense of where to put things. I've learned so much from him in that aspect of making music.

Tip is a Master at taking a small music idea and painting a big picture with it.

Changing gears a bit. Your work with Jaimeo Brown is phenomenal. Specifically, your project "Work Songs" where you all take samples of inmates from a Mississippi Farm Prison. The project is so powerful, especially with our recent increased awareness about mass incarceration. I don't really have a question, per se lol I just think the album is incredible and innovative. But can you talk about the inspiration for the album?

Thank you so much. Yeah that album is special. I'm always trying to challenge myself with new musical concepts. The inspiration for that album came from working close with the "Gee's Bend Quilters." We absorbed their way of life, the music they sing, their stories, their history; all these things really influenced me to create music with that same "feeling." Music that soundtracks the soul of the Black American history. Listening to those chain gang prison recordings touched me.

Alan Lomax recorded those songs to document american history. They weren't necessarily recorded for the purpose of entertainment. They were work songs that helped get these men through the day in those harsh prison, working environments. None of these inmates were musically trained, yet there is a beautiful sense of harmony and rhythm they display. I can hear the blues; I can hear African roots in them. It was amazing. I realized that people sometimes use music to help them deal with trials or joys of life. So I wanted to take those samples and create music that would bring those sounds to present day. I think we did a great job with that.

I met Keeyen in the fall of 2010. I was a freshman at Morehouse College, Keeyen a Sophomore, when he so happened to be talking with some mutual friends in the dorm. On a whim, one of my friends shouted out to Keeyen "STANLEY PLAYS THE GUITAR!" (Thanks Lemell). Shortly thereafter, Keeyen and I struck up a conversation and we both expressed a deep joy for gospel and soul artists, like The Hawkins, The Clark Sisters, D'angelo, and others. We became friends, and musical brothers, performing shows around Atlanta and on campus over the course of the next three years.

Keeyen, a classically trained singer-songwriter based in Atlanta, has made a name for himself by wooing crowds with his with his wide-ranging vocal capabilities. Raised in church and the son of a Pastor, Keeyen evokes the emotion and passion often seen in the black church. As an artist, Keeyen has cut his teeth the old fashioned way by consistently engaging in the tradition of live performance, performing in music venues around Atlanta, and becoming a staple of the R&B music scene in Atlanta . Keeyen recently released his first EP, The Suitcase, and performed songs from his EP in his hometown of Charlotte, NC. I interviewed Keeyen to discuss his new EP, performing at home, crafting a sound as an artist and more!

You just did an EP release concert back in your hometown, Charlotte, NC. What was that experience like?

Keeyen I had such a blast having an EP release concert in my hometown, utterly nostalgic. I was super excited to have somewhat of a full circle moment, sharing my music with the city that groomed me. It was a magical night filled with family, friends, and fans alike.

You give the listener a wide range of musical styles on this EP. Who are some of your musical influences?

Scared of Brave is a beautifully written song, and also very transparent in discussing some of your personal fears. As a writer, what do you hope listeners take away from this song?

Thank you! Scared of Brave is a record that truly reflects the battle of creatives. It was very personal but also relative to the storiesof many people I think. I hope that listeners hear my passion coupled with pain of simply stepping out and being Brave. Pursuing your dreams is never easy, but with a lot of drive and heart, I want listeners to know you can indeed make it. Wherever you wanna go, to whatever level it is you want to achieve in the totem pole of success, you can make it. Even if you're scared of Brave, you have to push onward.

365 is one of my favorite songs off the EP. What was the inspiration behind it?

Thank you! 365 is also a personal favorite. This song has the spirit of what I'd like to call feel good music. I pulled from the vibes of 90sand early 2000s music to bring this song to life. Lyrically it was so free writing and easy creating. This song just takes me to a place of good vibes and love. I'd like to think it was that same place I remember falling in love with R&B during my childhood in the 90s.

What do you hope listeners take away from this project?

I truly hope listeners receive my sound and further receive me as an artist. Many of my supporters know me by way of live shows, mostly performing covers. And now I can finally share my DNA as an artist. I want people to hear my versatility not just my voice but my writing. I'm excited that this is my Debut and further eager to take listeners on a journey with my music.

The art of storytelling can take on many forms: poetry, music, film, oral traditions, photography all aid in telling a story. Brik.Liam, a singer, songwriter, and graphic designer based in Atlanta, GA, uses multiple [artistic] platforms to reach fans and listeners. Ahead of his performance at this weekend's A3C Festival, I caught up with the multi-faceted artist to discuss the art of storytelling, having a DJ's mentality as a singer, how artists can address issues of social justice, and more. Here's our conversation:

You once posted on your Instagram a picture of your name in braille, and the caption read, "I want to be felt...more than I wanna be heard..." That's powerful. What is your approach to storytelling; in making sure your felt more than you are heard?

Brik.Liam i am a firm believer that to get all there is out of life, one must be their authentic self. being completely authentic takes a vulnerability like no other, especially in art. cause you're putting it on display. and if you're being vulnerable in your authenticity and truth you'll find many who can relate and connect directly to those same thoughts, feelings and questions. and in my opinion that's what all forms of art is about. displaying and shedding light on your experience to help the next person help the next person and so on.

What role do visual aesthetics play in your music?

Brik.Liam everything lol. especially when my goal is to be a great storyteller. music should be able to give a visual. even if no words are involved. certain chords make you think of certain colors and images. when i use my lower register, it gives a certain imagery, same with my falsetto, when i'm belting etc. all those things give a certain visual in ones head. my goal is usually to write a song that i easily see a visual for. a story. it's usually easier for me cause i usually write from real experiences. so it's almost like the real-life visual inspires the music and then music inspires a dream-like visual.

"certain chords make you think of certain colors and images. when i use my lower register, it gives a certain imagery, same with my falsetto, when i'm belting etc. all those things give a certain visual in ones head."

Stanley That’s absolutely true. I remember watching a Jimi Hendrix documentary and he said something similar -- about how he saw colors when he played as opposed to chords shapes, notes, etc. I think that's really a gift to be able to visualize your music, and it helps the listener, too.

Can you talk a little about your graphic designing and music, and how they influence each other?

i don't think it's so much about them influencing each other, but more about them complimenting each other. - before my following started picking up i was attaching visuals [pictures/videos] to covers and music i had been doing. all on my own. just to do it. just cause it's what i saw in my head. looking back now, the quality wasn't great, but the concepts were what i wanted exactly, lol. but i very often sit back and listen and watch old performances and creative visuals that i've done, to appreciate the fact that i was brave enough to do exactly what i saw and heard in my head. most people are afraid of looking stupid or they make excuses but i am a firm believer that everything we need to accomplish our dreams is inside of us, we just gotta operate in it regardless of obstacles. - i've also witnessed how consistent visual builds branding ...and at this day in time ...people make branding almost more important than the music, so i've been fighting to find that balance while enjoying how simple branding [on accident, most times] works for me.

You started a hashtag campaign of sorts on social media -- #cre8daily -- what was the inspiration behind that?

Brik.Liam cre8daily.

it's means several things to me. but mainly to encourage others to LITERALLY create every time they get a chance. in doing so, one: you're guaranteed to grow in your gifts. two: it shifts your focus off of things you really don't need to be focused on.

i started spreading that because i began to see great results and responses from actually doing that. you accomplish so much making it a goal to really try to work out the visions that appear in your head. it doesn't always start off perfect but eventually it comes together. but it can't be great if it's never been bad sometimes. so you really have to be willing and unafraid to make those first, second, third... steps.

Stanley That's powerful, and I couldn't agree more. That's something I'm learning as well -- to create and to simply try no matter what.

I was listening to your project Still With Love, Brik where basically took the lyrics/melody of some familiar songs and rearranged the chord progressions. What was the inspiration for that project?

Brik.Liam my inspiration was cre8ing daily. i hadn't released any music in a while. and i wanted to save all my original work for my next project, which is coming later. - and i simply didn't want to simply be covering songs. i wanted to be creative in the process. so basically making covers sound like something new, so people will hear something fresh and nostalgic at the same time. plus one of favorite things to do in live shows is to mash-up songs or make medleys. kinda in comparison [but not as deep] as a dj knowing records to mix. i just love getting the that same reaction as dj’s do. people couldn't really see a black male singing a songs where he's merging britney spears, phill collins, bobby vinton, jeff buckley, journey with songs from stevie wonder, beyoncé, michael jackson, janet jackson... like it so much music in my head. lol and it's a great variety, so i just wanted to display that.

Stanley Man, that project is great, and its fresh spin on familiar songs. I hear something new each time I listen to it. You've got a pretty wide musical and artisticpalette.

Who are some of your influences? (Visually, vocally, musically)

Brik.Liam im influenced by soooo many people. my writing shifted kinda when I wasintroduced to frank ocean and jhene aiko. but other than my writing, musically i go thru stages. where im obsessed with an artist and then kinda form a new ear with all that's been embedded. so, over time it's heavily been brandy, her vocal approach, placement, control and the way she emotes. and if i mention brandy, whitney houston is added cause much of what she has was embedded by the grey whitney houston. musiq soulchild was a big turning point for me. i was raised strictly in gospel, but when i first got a sneak peek of his soulstar album, everything just changed. it introduced me and made me fall in love with soul music. he has range and his arrangements and ear is so amazing, people don't even recognize that. dangelo! he's king. beyoncé [really in her destiny’s child days] they heavily influenced my harmonizing skills, as well as brandy. i don't think beyoncé gets enough credit for her musicality. i listen to jazz a lot now. gretchen parlato and carolyn perteete [indie artist] i listen to them constantly. and will forever do that. and i am obsessed with everything that is emily king. the sound and the entertainer that she is just does it for me. - everything about marvin gaye. like everything. i've watched so many biographies and seen many similarities between him and myself. he even shares the same name as my biological father, who i've never met. i just feel a strong connection to him.

You've been pretty vocal about social justice, racism, and police brutality. As an artist, what role do you think art plays in addressing these issues, and hopefully coming to some solutions?

Brik.Liam i think the biggest issue we face is actually facing the issues. being able to get everyone on one accord and actually call these happenings issues. music and art plays an important part, because it presents the topic without shoving it down people's throat. it's not as threatening and sometimes it's very threatening. but art doesn't allow you to deny the issues, it helps you swallow the pill. - my prayer is that it all heals. i have a new project coming soon and a few songs address a few different issues. just want to make people aware who aren't or try to act like they don't exist. sigh. it can be very draining tho. cause you can't really fathom how anyone can ignore the issues, but that's the climate of the human race right now. very passive or passive-agressive. smh

"...but art doesn't allow you to deny the issues, it helps you swallow the pill."

Stanley This is so true, I agree wholeheartedly! Art -- via whichever medium -- forces you to challenge beliefs, has the ability to make you aware of an issue, but ultimately - like you said - helps you to digest the problem, and hopefully makes you move on that issue.

You can follow Brik.Liam on Instagram @Brik.Liam and on Twitter @BrikLiam

On Wednesday, September 14th, Amy Winehouse would have celebrated her 33rd birthday. Winehouse embodied the struggles of a tortured genius – brilliant, yet broken. Talented, yet overwhelmed. Her gift to music? Immeasurable. Heavily influenced by the Motown sound, Winehouse’s music put on display the longstanding connection between traditionally Black American music and Europe, from Rock and Roll to the Blues.

Winehouse’s music comes from a long line of British artists that have made contributions to the world of R&B and Soul music ranging from Joss Stone to Sade, Corinne Bailey Rae to Adele, but the list doesn’t stop there and continues to grow. Below are some younger artists that are making their imprint on music, reinterpreting genres like Jazz, R&B, Hip-Hop and more for their selves.

Dornik: A couple of months ago a friend suggested that I listen to Dornik. In my friend's sales pitch he said something along the lines of this: "Imagine if Michael Jackson made a full length neo-soul album..." I thought that comparison was a stretch, but that's before I listened to him. After listening to him I was blown away, the dude's got some serious chops. Dornik, a drummer and singer born in London, released his first album Dornik in 2015. Dornik blends smooth synthesizers reminiscent of 80s R&B, with 808 snares. If you're reading this Dornik, you owe us, don't disappear.

You should listen to Dornik if you like: Michael Jackson, Prince, Janet Jackson

NAO: Trained as a jazz vocalist at London’s Guildhall School of Music and Drama, NAO has made waves merging Jazz, Funk, and Electronic music. NAO released her first EP, So Good in 2014, bringing critical acclaim from the BBC as well as iTunes. While So Good garnered attention, and gave listeners a preview of her musical styling, vocal capabilities, and writing sensibilities, it’s got nothing on her most recent full-length album For All We Know – an album composed of funky bass lines, endless grooves, and smooth vocals.

You should listen to NAO if you like: Little Dragon, FKA Twigs

Tom Misch: A 21 year-old South Londoner that pitches himself as a guitarist, beatmaker, and singer. Misch blends boom-bap rhythmic syncopation that’ll catch the ear of a J Dilla fan, with the chord progressions that’ll please any Wes Montgomery fan. Misch’s recently released his 3rd EP, Reverie, and is in the process of recording his first full-length album.

You should listen to Tom Misch if you like: J Dilla, John Mayer, Erykah Badu, D’angelo

Laura Mvula: So, Laura Mvula isn’t technically from London (she’s from Birmingham) but she’s too good to not be included on this list. Trained as a classical vocalist, Mvula has strong R&B and Jazz sensibilities. Often accompanied by an orchestra on her albums, Mvula’s sound is rich in stacked vocal harmonies and progressive musical arrangements.

During the summer of 2014 I moved to Oklahoma for graduate school. Moving isn’t an easy thing to do, and moving to Oklahoma from Philadelphia was especially challenging. To say that I was the victim of a cultural shock would be an understatement. I remember the summer before moving vividly. Family and friends would ask what my next move was, and I would tell them that I’d be moving to Oklahoma for graduate school. Immediately after telling people that I’d be moving to Oklahoma they’d typically start singing Oklahoma! (sigh) from the Broadway musical. But I can’t blame them. Like many people from the east coast, I had my perceptions of Oklahoma, too, but hearing family and friends offer their interpretation of the song certainly didn’t help ease my worries of the coming cultural shock.

For students attending school away from home (in my case 1,200 miles away from home), there’s the added adjustment of adapting socially and culturally to a new place, not to mention the workload; so to maintain some level of sanity, I needed a musical outlet. But where would my outlet be? How would I be musically fed? Like many of the people that would offer me their rendition of Oklahoma! when I told them I was moving to Oklahoma, I [ignorantly] only thought of Oklahoma as a place for Country music. But, after spending two years in Oklahoma, I’ve come to know some phenomenal musicians and artists all along the musical spectrum, one of them being Adam Ledbetter, a pianist, producer, rapper, composer, and member of Adam and Kizzie – a collaborative group with his wife. I caught up with Adam to hear his thoughts as someone raised in Oklahoma, a musician, and artist. Here’s our conversation:

STANLEY: Thanks for taking out the time to answer some questions about music in Oklahoma City! How would you describe the [Black] music scene in Oklahoma?

ADAM: I would describe the [Black] Oklahoma City music scene as dysfunctional. Lol. Not my typical response because I love my city and the scene here but I feel like I should be totally candid. The artists themselves are very supportive of one another and I really believe that is what is sustaining the black music scene in Oklahoma. We can't lean on our fans because they are skeptical. We can't lean on professional colleagues (agents, managers, talent buyers, venue owners etc) because they simply don't exist, we can't lean on the radio stations because they have different interests but we lean on each other. I think that’s special because we believe in us if nobody else does. Oklahoma City in general has always suffered from an inferiority complex. We're too small and too close to Texas for our own good. The fans are reserving judgment until they see us get big enough to get props from everywhere else, the venues don't profit so they just bring in party and cover bands and we're left to remind each other "Hey, that's killer even if nobody else gets it." Jabee is a good example. His hard work is beginning to pay off but he's doing what he's always done: grind and put out albums like nobody's business. He did that despite OKC. OKC did not always have his back until he got an Emmy... Welcome to OKC. I dream of the day when OKC takes enough pride in itself to not need outside validation. There was a venue called Urban Roots that was the hub for black artists until it closed in May 2015. The owner, Chaya believed in the artists so she made her resources available to them. She gave us free access. We still had to put everything else together but what I witnessed over time was a chain reaction. The fans became more involved they became less skeptical. All of our shows went up in attendance. More artists were producing new music. People were participating. None of this happened because all of a sudden we got awesome. It was all because one venue owner said "I believe in you all". Other artists started making OKC a regular stop on their tours. It was magical and unfortunately aggressive gentrification pushed Urban Roots out of business. We're hitting the roads hard, game planning and hoping one day we can find a new nest to lay some eggs in. So yeah, dysfunctional - hopeful, but dysfunctional.

"I dream of the day when OKC takes enough pride in itself to not need outside validation."

STANLEY: You brought up a lot of interesting points, but I just wanted to highlight a few points that you made.

Urban Roots: When I first moved to Oklahoma and started exploring OKC musically, Urban Roots was the place I gravitated toward. It reminded me of my hometown, Philadelphia, but it had a fresh feel to it, largely because I wasn't expecting to find that type of venue in OKC. You know, you hear so much about Oklahoma, the music there, the culture, etc. so I think, more than anything, Urban Roots just caught me off guard.

Gentrification: It's ironic that you mentioned the aggressive gentrification that played a key role in the demise of Urban Roots, because the first time I visited Urban Roots I noticed the heavy construction and development being done in the area, as well as the neighborhood demographic, the style of housing (lofts, brownstones, etc.), and I couldn't help but wonder how this would play out for a black owned business. So, I leave Urban Roots after my 1st visit, I go home and look up the history of the Deep Deuce, the area where Urban Roots was located, and come to find out that the area was historically black, and at one point the epicenter of black culture/music during the 1940's and 1950's, only to be throttled by the highway development of I-35; a sad, but all too common trend for many inner city, Black communities around the United States. Seems as if the elimination of Black spaces has been an ongoing project for 70+ years.

While the loss of Urban Roots may have hurt the music community somewhat, I think Bistro 46 and Ordinary People Lounge has played a nice role in filling the gap and offering a space for artists and musicians to grow.

STANLEY: Who are some artists from OKC/OK that you think we should be on the lookout for?

STANLEY: I'm familiar with most of the artists you mentioned. Y'all are the first group/people I mention when I talk about OKC's black music scene. I love y'all's music so much, seriously.

STANLEY: If you could change one thing (or more than one thing) about OKC/OK's music scene, what would you change?

ADAM: If I could change simply one thing about OKC's music scene I would reopen Urban Roots! No brainer. It is the most significant of several missing puzzle pieces. It serves the artists by giving them space and it serves the people by making it easy to find where the art is taking place. There has never been more cooperation, camaraderie, diversity and ambition in this music scene in my lifetime than when Urban Roots was open. Worth noting, that Urban Roots developed over time as well. It was serving a need that many people in OKC didn't immediately know existed once they caught on though, it was magic. Beyond that I would convince the fans how important they are. I'd make them believers.

"I would convince the fans how important they are. I'd make them believers."

STANLEY: Wow - that's profound: "...I would convince the fans how important they are" You've put a good bit of emphasis the role of fans in the creation, and success, of the music scene in Oklahoma City, as opposed saying there's a "talent gap" on the end of the artists.

Often times, it seems like we (fans) put a lot of emphasis on making the ARTIST feel like they're important, but you're saying the opposite, which I think is a valid point. But from my time in Oklahoma I learned a lot about the so called "hidden", and in some sense, undervalued talent in Oklahoma City. OKC has a lot to offer musically!

ADAM: No question bro! OKC has a ton to offer musically. What we don't have that a lot of the healthier scenes I visit have is a sense of ownership among the fans. In OKC they're taking all of their cues from the artists which doesn't work. There has to be give and take but here the artists give and receive nothing in return. If you look at every major musical movement in America's history you'll find a lot of drugs. I believe the reason for this is because the artists, by pushing boundaries end up requiring more from fans than they are willing to give and in order to continue to give without receiving self-medication becomes necessary. This is just one angle to the issue, but I believe this pattern exists! In OKC, among the artists I've mentioned, drugs aren't a part of the culture which is another thing I believe that makes it special. That said, the fans here don't understand that they can place any value on their local music scene that they want. They can demand excellence, and get it. They can demand individuality, and get it. Sadly OKC suffers from an inferiority complex (always trying to compete with Texas) and there's a deep insecurity that prevents fans from recognizing and championing the things that do make Oklahoma special. When I go to Richmond the venues are full of gatekeepers. Same thing in Austin, Chicago, Asheville, Atlanta etc. Those people make it their business to enjoy their local music in a serious way. Here everyone just laments that we don't have what those other places do, but if the fans showed up and became gatekeepers the venues that keep closing wouldn't and if those venues didn't close, the artists wouldn't move, and if the artists didn't move the standard would go higher and higher, and then people would move here.

All photos come courtesy Tori Beechum. You can find more of her work on her website beech-photography.com or on Instagram (@tbeech32)

Tyra (@TheTyraTales)

Funny enough, I have vivid memories of taking my mother’s hard copy of this album to show my 5th grade friends. Before the very messy and very public demise of his marriage to Paula Patton, Robin Thicke possessed a crazy amount of talent (and most likely still does but that’s neither here nor there). This appeal of this album, in my opinion, is how smooth it is. From “Got 2 Be Down” featuring Faith Evans to “Angels,” Thicke has an extremely soulful voice and tons of range that carries over just about any tempo. As I am not in fifth grade any more, I truly appreciate this album for the variety of emotions conveed in each song. “Cocaine” is literally about what you think it is, “Teach U A Lesson is about a sexy classroom fantasy, “Would That Make U Love” pleads about what makes love possible, and “Superman” details love’s heights. The Evolution is just that; it chronicles highs and lows and in-betweens in a really catchy, funky way.

This is another album that immediately takes me back to my childhood. I recall my parents playing it over and over during car trips and even more so through the house. I even took my parents’ copy to play over and over on the handheld CD player (remember those?) that my Dad gave me. Of course everyone knows “Revolution” (woop! woop!) but I also love “You Are” and “Hold Me Now” even more as I’ve grown in my relationship with God. What makes this album unique to me are the little skits about stereotypical church people that are painfully accurate, like “Interlude: The Verdict” and “Interlude: The Car (Stomp).” The older I get, I realize how many songs Kirk Franklin has taken and made appropriate for gospel, or even just revamped with a twist. “Gonna Be a Lovely Day,” a revamp of the Bill Withers song “Lovely Day,” uses some of the same lyrics but gives it an extra twang.

One of one of Stevie’s more underrated albums, Journey is the soundtrack to a 1979 documentary that used time-lapse photography to share how plants come to be. Stevie Wonder is my #1 favorite artist ever, and this album is extremely calming and serene. “Come Back as a Flower” is my favorite and features the melodious voice of Syreeta Wright, Stevie’s former wife. “Send One Your Love” and “Same Old Story” are really soulful classics that are really characteristic of Stevie’s style and are perfectly appropriate for the documentary. This is another album that’s really amazing to play full out and really relaxes my spirit.